Descripción:During takeoff from runway 20 at Newport News (PHF), as the airplane approached 120 knots, the crew heard a "loud pop." The airplane began to pull to the left, and the pilot flying aborted the takeoff by retarding the throttles and applying maximum braking. The airplane began to "fishtail" down the runway and the pilot not flying activated the drag chute. The drag chute appeared to be inoperative, and the pilots were unable to stop the airplane on the runway. The airplane continued off the right side, impacted a runway light, and came to rest in the grass. Both of the left main landing gear tires had blown, and the left main landing gear was separated from the airplane. Additionally, substantial damage was noted to the left wing spar.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The failure of the landing gear tires due to foreign object damage (FOD) on the runway. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the drag chute."

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.